Monday, September 22, 2008

Moving quickly past another game in which another Mets pitcher allows another opposing pitcher to hit a grand slam, here's tomorrow night's lineup and gameplan should they choose to accept it.

Lineup vs Cubs lefty Sean Marshall:

Jose Reyes-SS

Ryan Church-RF

David Wright-3B

Carlos Delgado-1B

Carlos Beltran-CF

Ramon Castro-C

Nick Evans-LF

Argenis Reyes-2B

Johan Santana-P

Marshall is a tall lefty who doesn't strike out many, and walks more than his fair share; he hasn't started all that many games in the big leagues this year although he has always been a starter in the minors. The Cubs probably aren't going to expect more than five or so innings out of him, so the Mets have to wait him out. Church looked a bit better at the plate tonight and moving him into the second slot in the lineup between Jose Reyes and Wright should give him some good pitches to hit. I'm convinced that Luis Castillo is a bad luck charm and they need to get him out of the lineup. While Argenis Reyes isn't much of a hitter, he's had some useful moments this year and there isn't this aura of bad luck floating over his head as there is Castillo.

Pitching to the Cubs:

Cubs manager Lou Piniella is playing these games to win, as he should. The regular lineup is going to be in there for the most part. Johan Santana can't fall behind any of the Cubs bashers so they'll be geared up for his fastball. If, worst case scenario, the Cubs knock Santana around, Brandon Knight should be the long man; if Santana gets into the seventh or eighth innings, Joe Smith is perfectly equipped with his sidearm delivery to deal with the Cubs righty-centric lineup. I don't even want to see the likes of Aaron Heilman even picking up a baseball to hold it, let alone to warm up. Pedro Feliciano should deal with the lefties and Luis Ayala should be allowed to close.

This game is being handed to the Mets on a platter; the Cubs are starting a young pitcher who's spent a chunk of the season in the minors and has alternated between serviceable and bad as a starter; they have to get to him, get to him early and give Santana a lead so the Brewers can look up at the scoreboard as their game starts and know that they have to win. As bad as the Mets have been responding to pressure, the Brewers have been worse. With a start time an hour before the Pirates-Brewers game, the Mets can jump out and put the thought in the heads of the staggering Brewers that they have to win to keep pace. These instances of getting runners on base with no one out and doing stupid things (Carlos Beltran trying to bunt for example) and letting their opponents off the hook isn't going to cut it. Jumping ahead, staying ahead and cruising to a win without having to rely on that bullpen should get the butterflies out of the entire organization's stomachs for one night at least and might wake them from this panic-stricken slumber once and for all to let them stagger into the playoffs; after that, I think I speak for everyone who has any connection to the Mets at all when I say they could get swept and no one's going to care; at this point, making the playoffs is enough.